A sweet sixteen after all
by XxrunforfunxX
Summary: Abby reflects about her 16th year of life. Starting with her birthday.Updated: Winter[Completed]
1. January 10

Running Away

An Abby POV about her sixteenth year on this earth.

The ER staff are teenagers and all attend the same school

Sixteen; the perfect age, or so everyone would think. You can drive, have a boyfriend, and you are not considered a child anymore, but a young adult. You are given responsibilities and in return you are rewarded by your parent's trust. My sixteenth year on this planet was different. Actually my whole life was pretty much different, and trust me no one would ever understand. They might know about how hard my life is, and they might have a small grasp of how hard my life is, but they would never understand.

January 10, my birthday the perfect day. The day I was supposed to get my license and show up in a brand new car my parents had just bought me. John's parents had, Susan's, and some of the other people I hung out with. It was not like I wanted a car, I liked running, and it wasn't as if Maggie could afford to buy me a car anyway. Maggie had completely forgotten it was my birthday until Eric started seeing happy birthday at the table during breakfast. I watched my mom all morning, and she had not taken her medicine, so I didn't even know if she would be home tonight. Life was hard with her, she made everything so complicated. When Eric and I were younger we would have to go and beg for food from our neighbors, but now I knew how to cook some basic stuff and if not, Susan and John were more than happy to have us join them for dinner.

My friends had helped me celebrate my birthday. We had gone to a club, one of the better ones. It had been a pretty wild night and John and Susan looked blown away as they watched me dance. I was pretty good, one of my so called "god given talents". After a few hours of dancing we all sat outside, and I had a smoke. Yeah, I smoked. I still do. Life didn't get much better, a perfect cigarette in one hand, and on my right and left my two best friends. After a little while John had us come back to his Gamma's mansion and we decided to go swimming in his huge pool. The water was warm, it always was. Even though it was February, we could always count on the pool water to be like that of a baths. Susan and John always looked great in their swimsuits. Susan could always pull off the bikini look, as for me, I couldn't. I just didn't have a chest to flaunt, or even that matter, a chest to put into the bikini. I wore one anyway though, I was skinny enough that I still got some attention from it. In the pool we just relaxed, and talked. Talked about drinking, sports, and of course dating. But by the end of the night that was going to change.

As we talked I could just feel John's eyes were on me. He had always looked at me or Susan, but we just thought he was curious, and he was our friend, so we didn't mind. But this felt different, like he was staring at me, my face, not my body. Wrapped in towels and sipping hot chocolate, they sang happy birthday to me. We laughed and then talked some more before Susan's mother called saying she had to go. I was spending the night at John's, my mother had gone out, and Eric was spending the night at his best friends house. Later that night John and I talked. He asked if I had a crush. I kind of did, and it was on him. The new foreign exchange student Luka had been eyeing me lately, but I didn't want a relationship that could end up becoming long distance. I told him yes. I could see the twinkle in his eye. He then told me he had had a crush on me for a very long time, and that he was wondering if we could go out on a date. I smiled and nodded. It was about 1am by the time we went to sleep.


	2. Spring

Spring

For the months after my birthday I would sit in my small room in my apartment and stare at the wall daydreaming that maybe John and I held a future. Maybe not marriage or kids, but a future, a long term relationship. I would do this because I had no one else to talk too. My mom, Maggie was either locked in her room, or gone. Eric was to young to understand any of this, and I was supposed to be his role model. Then there was Susan. Susan hadn't known about us until she found us making out in John's pool. That was a fun night, and that look on Susan's face was priceless, but she says the look on our faces were better. She was probably right.

The next few months went by like a blur. I rejoined the track team for another year of torture. I always found running fun, whether it was running away from your fears, worries, or just running in general. I ran the 400m dash, and I did long jump and triple jump. They were all events I needed to work on, but my coaches were persistent that I would do well in these. So I just went along with them, plus John said I looked sexy in the uniform. By the end of the season I had broken the school's long and triple jump records, but I couldn't have beaten the school's 400m dash record. I just improved my PR in that. I received my awards in front of the whole school, it was great, except for the fact I was on crutches. I had sprained my ankle at the sectional meet, during triple jump. I couldn't believe it, I had always been so careful to make sure I jumped in the middle of the run way, I must have been staring at John. Because when I landed the second part of the jump, I heard a snap, and fell into the sand pit, pain shooting up and down my leg.

John had ran right over, seeing that I had not gotten up right away. He had such a worried look on his face, and he kept telling me that I was going to be alright. He wanted me to go to the hospital, but there were so many events left that I couldn't leave. I needed to see my team mates complete their events as well, so I decided to stay with a bag of ice taped around my swollen ankle. At the end of the night, John and I sat in the back of the bus, and talked. We talked about the small things. We talked about the future, and how long we would last. I think that night was our realization that this relationship might be for real. That we just aren't supposed to be boyfriend and girlfriend, maybe someday we will be husband and wife. I didn't really hear the rest of what he had said, I was busy thinking about now. That we were happy, and that nothing could ruin it.

As school came to a close we decided to make out in the girls locker room after I cleaned out my track locker. It was almost seven, and we had thought everyone had left. So we started making out on a bench. It was fun, until we heard a thud, from the shower stalls. Now there was no water on or anything, so I told John to hide, and I went to investigate. I fixed my shirt as I walked towards the showers and I heard two people laughing. I pulled back the shower curtain and there was Susan, and a guy! I was shocked, and the look on Susan! It was priceless, even more priceless when she found us making out. I yelled for John and then he looked at the guy. It was one of his friends Mark Greene. So we just went back to what we were doing, and then all four of us left together to go out to dinner. The restaurant was nice, not fancy, but definitely not like the diner we had eaten at last weekend.

After dinner, we all walked over to the park. It was only an EL ride from all of our houses, so we decided to look up at the stars. As we sat there I watched the clouds. They looked so pretty with the moonlight highlighting the edges of them. As I looked, I saw out of the corner of my eye a shooting star, and I wished on it. The wish was not simple, but something I had always wanted. That life would be normal even if it was for just one day. I sat back up, and pulled out a cigarette from my backpack. I lit it, and began to exhale the smoke as I watched the moon get covered up by the clouds. Susan and Mark were talking, and I could hear the crickets chirping, this had to be another one of those perfect cigarettes. John had been begging me to kick the habit now for atleast a month, but I couldn't.

This was my only escape, the damn box of cigarettes that I had in my underwear drawer. It was like a small bit of heaven, it made me relax. I couldn't help it, my life was in a total mess besides my friends. If it wasn't for them, I would have definitely had committing suicide on the top of my list for things to do over the summer. As I smushed out the cigarette I looked down at my cell phone, 11:30pm. It was a school night, and if Maggie was home she would have my head. I waved at everyone as I walked towards the EL. John had decided to stay and walk home with Susan. They lived close to each other, I think a block or so away.

On the last day of school, John had decided to throw a huge party on the beach. It was awesome, some of our teachers even showed up to get in on the action. Between the music, and the sounds of the waves lapping the beach, it was deafening. We danced all night, grinding mostly, and by twelve we were all just about tuckered out. As the party died down, John and I had decided to take a small walk. I looked over at him, as we walked, and he cleared his throat. "Abby, these last five months have been absolutely amazing…" I cut him off, "John if you are going to break up with me just say it." I interjected. John had a surprised look in his eyes, "Actually, my parents and I are going to Hawaii, and I wanted to know if you wanted to come with." John said. "Oh," I said, I was a bit embarrassed. "I would like that." I said smiling. John nodded, "Abby you look so beautiful in the moonlight." He whispered, and before I knew it we were on the sand making out. It was long, and our bodies were covered in sand. We would have kept going until the flash light had been shone upon us. As we looked up we couldn't believe who was holding it, Maggie.

I wiped the sand off of me, and looked at John. I had to leave. He nodded, and I walked over to my mom. Lucky for me it was dark outside, because my cheeks were probably as red as roses. The whole car ride home I got yelled at. My mom telling me how she had not raised a little slut who goes making out with every person that she meets. I tried to tell her that John and I had been going out for five months now, but she either didn't hear me or didn't care. As the yelling wore down, I could tell that what I had said finally sunk in. Then she asked me why I hadn't told her. I just remained silent, and stared at the road ahead. I took a deep breathe, and told her that she was never home, and I didn't think that she would have cared. I told her about Hawaii, and how I wanted to go. I had just bought a great new swimsuit, and that everything was working out. My mom just shook her head, and pulled into the apartment complex's parking lot. Great way to start summer vacation, I thought.


	3. First Day in Hawaii

Summer

At last I finally get to leave home for once. After Minnesota, I had never been out of Illinois. It took a while, well actually about three days to convince my mom that everything would be alright, but I did cheat. I took advantage of her when she was in one of her manic moments, and she told me to go have fun. I took that as a yes. I packed up my suitcase full of new clothes that I had bought when Susan and I went on a shopping spree to the Chicago Ridge Mall. Its outside of Chicago yeah, but we had stopped there once, after a track meet against Marist High School, and thought it would be a great place to get summer clothes at. It was small, but it had a lot of the stores we liked to shop at, and I had found a lot of cute tank tops, and summer clothing.

Before John came and picked me up, I called Eric's best friend's mother to make sure that she was aware about our Mom. Susan had come to the airport with Mark, to wave goodbye. O'Hare was huge, so many terminals, and airplanes, if they didn't have the signs you would get lost. Our plane boarded maybe ten minutes after we got there. John's mother and father had gotten us all first class tickets, and it was kind of shocking the difference between Middle Class, and First Class. In the plane John and I got to sit next to each other and talk, while his mother and father sat behind us. I kind of felt bad that we didn't get to talk for very long. I got so nauseated as we took off I fell asleep. When I had woken up John too, had fallen asleep, and the plane was starting to land. As we landed John woke up, and smiled at me, I smiled back, not wanting to say anything his parents might take the wrong way.

It was about four in the afternoon by the time we reached the beach house. It was huge. Inside John and I had rooms right next to each other upstairs with a shared patio over looking the ocean. It was amazing, and his parents really seemed to trust us. Before we took out all of our belonging his mother came in and gave us a small talking to though. She told us that we could not be in the same room together with the doors closed, and that we were to act like mature young adults. We agreed, it wouldn't be to hard, I mean we had a whole beach to ourselves. After we had finished unpacking, John had walked in to my room. He had on his swim suit, well surf shorts. All that working out in the gym had really paid off. I couldn't keep my eyes off of him. He asked me if I wanted to go for a walk with him on the beach. I nodded, and told him I just had to change. John nodded, and told me that he would be in his room when I was done.

I pulled out a hot pink tank top. Yeah, it definetly was not my favorite color, but it went well with my hair. I put on a white shirt, the ones that ruffle. The outfit went well together, I really should thank Susan for matching all of my clothes. I could never do that. I pulled my hair out of its pony tail, and let it fall down to my shoulders. I walked out of my room, and walked over to John's. We walked out of the house, and out onto the beach. The ocean was so beautiful, the water was crystal clear. As we walked we got closer and closer towards the water, and then I saw a grin appear on John's face. I told him not to even think about it because if he did, I would make the rest of the summer a living hell. Before I knew it he had picked me up, and was carrying me out into the ocean with him. I thought the water would be cold, but it wasn't, and it was kind of fun. Making out in the ocean was ten maybe twenty times more fun than in a pool. We didn't stop playing around until the sun was setting. When we walked back in giggling John's father was holding two towels, and told us that next time we decide to go on a walk we should bring some with just in case. He winked, and walked back into the house. John and I walked back into our rooms and changed into some dry clothes. I again picked out another marvelously matched outfit via Susan, and we walked to the kitchen where we had heard John's mother yelling for us to come and eat.

((more coming, just kind of having a writers block/way to much homework. Email me if you have any suggestions, or you could just post them with your review. My email is 


	4. Summer Continued

Summer Continued

I couldn't believe that we had been in Hawaii for almost two months now. Its amazing down here, the flowers, the smells, just everything. One word to describe Hawaii is tranquil. I will have to remember all of this for when my life gets turned a little to far upside down I can always just go and hide in my memories.

John taught me how to surf in July, it was a lot of fun. It took me a few tries, but I got it. The whole experience was cool, but the best part was finally getting up on the board and hearing John cheering behind me. Afterward, John, being the pro that he is, had me get up on his shoulders, and we surfed in like that. His mom didn't seem to happy about it, but his Gamma was. Yeah, John's Gamma came down a few weeks after we did, she seems to like me a lot more than his mother. On the fourth of July we laid out on the beach in our sleeping bags. I was worried about the tide coming up and soaking us, but John reassured me that we were indeed far enough back the tide wouldn't even touch us. As the sky filled with all of the beautiful colors from the fireworks, John's mother pulled up a chair next to us, which totally ruined our plans. But later that night we made up for them on our balcony.

As August rolled around, John had pulled out a picture of me before Hawaii, as I was brushing my hair in my bathroom mirror. I looked at the picture and was shocked at how pale I looked, and how dark my hair was. But the most shocking of them all was that I had gone almost the whole summer without a cigarette. I had forgotten all about them until he had showed me that picture. I pulled my hair back, and looked at myself now. John wrapped his arms around my waist, and whispered in my ear that I looked so beautiful, now. I turned to face him, and rested my head on his chest. I told him how wonderful it was here, and that I didn't want to go back to Chicago. He agreed, and we went for one last walk on the beach. It was weird, over the past two months, I had not really noticed the sand between my toes or how warm the sun felt on my face, or even worse, how John just looked into my eyes, as if searching for something. That was the scary part, I didn't know what, and then sometime he would chuckle to himself, and shake his head.

Back in Chicago I couldn't believe how plain everything was here. It was still summer, but it wasn't a Hawaii summer, much cooler, and no ocean smell. As soon as I got home, Susan came over and we talked. Turns out that she and Mark had gotten a little serious over the summer. Maybe a little to serious from my stand point, but I wasn't going to tell her, she and Mark had been moving at a quicker pace than John and I. Lucky for me Maggie had been taking her meds most of the time, and Eric was able to spend almost every day at home with her. Sometime Chloe, Susan's crazy sister, would come by and take him to a carnival, but other than that, he had been in good hands. After a weekend to myself, Susan and I had to go school supply shopping. School was starting in a week.


	5. autumn

Autumn

A junior, one year away from college and graduation, two years after being a freshman, and of course, one last year to raise your GPA those few hundredths of a point. I never really looked at school as a chore, I found it more relaxing, and a kind of neutral zone. But this year changed it, as the Deans spoke about how much this year would mean I worried if I would have time to see John after school, if I would have time to see all my friends, look for my mother when she went away, and care for Eric. It was kind of an uneasy feeling, almost sickening, but then I turned to look at John who was just smiling at me. When I asked him why he said I looked cute when I was concerned. All of his friends were giggling or going aww! but that didn't matter. As we walked towards our assigned lockers, I realized that all of ours were right next to each others, and in the perfect location, upstairs, and in the corner.

As the first few weeks went by I had totally forgot about Homecoming, and the dance, the King and Queen. I was just buried with homework, and I was lucky if I could successfully pull a comb through my hair before I had to hit the CTA to get to school. I usually had the same bus driver, and she knew that if I wasn't there I was coming, and would usually wait for me to come. As Homecoming approached I began to see posters being hung up for the girls and guys running for King and Queen. As I saw them hang on of the posters, I almost dropped my books. It was a picture of me from Hawaii. John had nominated us for King and Queen. As I stared, a few guys looked at the picture and then at me, and just sort of shook their heads in total disbelief that was actually me. I wouldn't have minded John nominating us, but now I had to look like I did back when the picture was taken. I had to start wearing some makeup again, and fixing my hair in the morning, reducing my five hours of sleep to four.

The next weekend, Susan and I went dress shopping. I had found this beautiful blue one, that reminded me of the ocean, it went from a light almost white, to a deep ocean blue at the bottom. It was held up by two slim spaghetti straps. I loved it, and though it was perfect, it showed off my thin figure, or so Susan said. The next week at school I wore makeup, and looked my best for John. I knew he wanted to win this, so I decided to do it for him. We were running against Peter Benton, and his three year girl friend Cleo. It was going to be pretty close, I had known that from the start. But that night at the dance I was in for the surprise of my life. I had gone to a beauty school called Camio on the south side, to get my hair done, and it looked perfect. My make up was perfect, and my mother had said I looked like I had stepped out of a painting. I joked with her and said yeah, "First time at homecoming" with a silly grin.

John had picked me up in a limo, and Susan and Mark were inside. When I had walked out to the limo I saw John in his tux. He always looked wonderful in them, he said it was from years of Carter Foundation events. At the dance, we all laughed, sang karaoke, and danced. Most of the songs were for grinding, which John willing took part in with me, and then there were the slow ones, where John and I just kind of melted together. By the end of the night, I was tired. But I couldn't be, they were going to announce the new homecoming King and Queen. So as the student council president, Kerry Weaver opened up the envelope, we stood there, on the dance floor squeezing each others hand. "And the winners are John Carter and Abby Wyczenski." John lifted me up, and hugged me. As we walked up the stage people started chanting CARBY! It was kind of weird, but I went along with it. As John and I received our crowns, and sashes, he smiled. It was a smile that I had never seen before. He did it again as we got to dance our first dance as the King and Queen of homecoming. As we danced, he tried to explain his chaos theory again. It was kind of amusing how he kept incorporating everything that happened to us as a couple. And then he said Carby too. After the dance was over, and the make out session in the limo, I had him explain it to me. He just said Carter and Abby, its simply Carby. As one person we are Carby.

After that John and I got really serious, almost a little to serious. Once or twice we had almost pulled each others clothes off, but we had promised each other that we wouldn't, not until we were ready. I was already on the pill because I hated my period, and just the four I had with the pill were four to many. So we were safe if we decided too. On Halloween we decided to dress up as a Doctor and a Nurse. We went to a party and had some fun. Some of the guys kept calling for me to go over to them, as asking me where I had gotten the "cute" outfit from. I couldn't believe they thought I was wearing something out of a lingerie store. I had actually bought this at a party store. John and I were fully decked out though, we had the IDs, the equipment, and everything. The party had gotten kind of boring towards the end, so we had decided to go trick or treating, I mean we really weren't in Chicago anymore, we were in Mount Greenwood, a small part of Chicago, that really was almost a suburb, it didn't look anything like the Chicago I knew.

In November John had invited me over to Thanksgiving dinner at his Gamma's house. He told me to dress casually. I did, but now I regret thinking of what my casual was. I wore a pair of khaki pants, and a white blouse with a black tank top on underneath. It looked very nice, and I put on some makeup. When I had walked over, I was stunned to see all of John's family so dressed up for the event. When I walked in, someone I swear gasped. But it was alright, we had a lot of fun anyway. John's uncles had a little to much bourbon, and were singing songs, and playing children games. Stumbling and trying to tag each other.


	6. WinterHappy New Year

Winter

Tis the season. I always hear that when I pass the stores trying to find the perfect present for Carter. I was just thinking a sled, it snowed and there is three feet of it lying on the ground. We could go sledding, but then I realized that was something he probably already had. Susan's gift was easy, she always hints at what she wants, and this time it was a cute sweater. It was a light purple, and had a pretty collar on it. And back to John's gift. I had finally realized what he could have, my necklace. I had a simple silver necklace I had worn since high school had started. I had always wore it, yeah it wasn't an expensive extravagant present, but it was rich in meaning.

On Christmas Eve John, Susan and I all were over at my apartment sitting around the Christmas tree Eric and I had put up the day before. John and Susan's presents lay neatly wrapped under the tree, and they had put theirs on the couch. As the clock struck midnight we each sorted the presents into piles, and then opened them. I waited, I wanted to see the look on John's and Susan's face when they opened up my present. Susan was so funny, she immediately hugged me and thanked me. John, smiled and stared at the necklace. He knew I had been wearing it for a very long time, and that it meant a lot to me. He didn't need to thank me, the look that he gave me meant so much more than the words he could have spoken. Susan started coercing me to open my presents and I did. Susan had bought me the exact same top I had bought her except in black. She smiled, and said now we can be twins. John's present was special, it was a bracelet. It was a small bracelet that was gold, but looked like it had been his many years ago. I smiled, and put it on my wrist, it fit perfectly.

John and I spent New years alone at his Gamma's house. His Gamma had taken his parents skiing in Colorado for the weekend so that we could be alone. As we sat on the couch, John smiled. The fire was roaring, and the smell of wood was perfect. As the bell struck midnight John whispered happy new year, and then we kissed. It was perfect, like almost out of a movie. As we kissed, I smiled, and told him I was ready. He nodded, and we made our way to his bedroom……

The next morning, I called my mom and told her I had spent the night at Susan's. Her voice was hoarse, and I could tell she had been out partying and probably had one hell of a hangover. After I hung up the phone, I rolled out of bed, and put my clothes back on. John was still asleep, so instead of waking him up I sat in one of the cool chairs he had in his room. They were the half circle ones, with the bright colors. As I sat there and watched him sleep I remembered all of last year. I had not smoked since I went to Hawaii with John, and I was doing great in school. John had made my life almost perfect, it would never be perfect, well atleast not to me, but we were close. John always talked about changing, changing who you are, or your personality. I disagree with him, only to look back and realize that I had indeed changed, not even noticing it until now. I was different than I was last year, or the year before, so I guess in the end you do change, and you only change when you meet the one person your truly in love with, and that person truly loves you back.

((Kind of Sappy ending, but I thought it would be cute. Abby needs to have her sappy love moment once, and I thought that this would be the perfect time. I just wanted to thank everyone who has reviewed on this. It was so nice of you, I never though I could be a fan fiction writer, but your reviews give me that lingering hope that maybe there is a spot for me in the world of ER fan fiction, or atleast Carby fan fiction.


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